Eric Bischoff, like big names from wrestling’s past, has a podcast.
He and his contemporaries use their platforms to share stories from their heyday, and offer opinions about the current business. It sometimes, even often, seems like these takes are designed to rile up fans who either agree or disagree with them, and to get wrestling websites to cover their quotes, generating clicks for the site and listens for programs such as 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff.
The former WCW President & WWE Executive Director often aims his takes at AEW. He’s not unique in that regard, as the “AEW/WWE War” is big business in the online wrestling economy. In Easy E’s case, his comments are given a little more weight because he ran the last company to do what Tony Khan is trying to do — challenge Vince McMahon. Bischoff’s also appeared on Dynamite, and engaged in a few back-and-forths with TK & his employees about their product.
In promoting the new 83 Weeks, Bischoff joined in the ongoing debate about whether AEW is growing its audience or just preaching to the choir...
Better storytelling = Growth
— Eric Bischoff (@EBischoff) May 10, 2022
If AEW ever wants to get the other 900 fans in the room, they'll need to stop booking for one small segment of the audience.
Hear the rest of the debate on @83Weeks and https://t.co/NGhpdGVUFd#WWERAW #WWE pic.twitter.com/JRCZq8l8g1
When a popular Wrestling Twitter™ account offered a retort, CM Punk responded, telling them ignore Bisch & his ilk
Wrestling twitter needs to stop amplifying all the old head bad faith bad take carny dipshits. They had their moment in the sun. Let them die in the dark with their ego podcasts. Quote me. pic.twitter.com/ryMcGSW10u
— player/coach (@CMPunk) May 10, 2022
Eric saw that and fired back, pulling a Punk quote from shortly after his return to wrestling in support of his recurring argument that AEW has failed to capitalize on the buzz the company had last summer. The quote also includes Punk comparing AEW to WCW, something that’s always seemed to get under the WWE Hall of Famer’s skin:
Ok: “So, I’m not Hogan or Savage. Daniel Bryan and Adam Cole, they’re not The Outsiders, I see the parallels, but this is totally different. I’ll go ahead and say it and people can quote me and they’ll be p*ssed off about it, but to me, this is bigger."
— Eric Bischoff (@EBischoff) May 10, 2022
How’s that working out? https://t.co/PPK9wALmoJ
Punk hasn’t taken the bait there, and I’m guessing he probably won’t (he may even be kicking himself for saying anything, since a response from him amplifies Bischoff’s original). But that won’t stop the debate from continuing, or the “old heads” from continuing to offer their takes. “Bad faith carny dipshits” or no, workers gonna work.
So until next time...
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